Making It Count
by Destiny's Embrace
Summary: What if Rose had never let go of Jack and they could live the life they should have shared together? What would Cal do to win his dearly beloved back? All of these what ifs become true as Jack and Rose try to escape Cal's wrath and make their love count.
1. An Absolution

**Making It Count **

**_Chapter 1_ **

"Come Josephine in my flying machine and it up she goes, up she goes" Rose sang quietly looking up at the Milky Way. Her hair was matted and iced to the door she lay on in the fridged Atlantic Ocean. All of her body heat was going and Rose was still in shock from the Titanic sinking. Rose had jumped back on the ship when her class was leaving to save her true love, Jack Dawson. After freeing him and escaping from Rose's fiancée, Cal, Jack and Rose both jumped off Titanic just as the stern went under the Atlantic waves. Here they both now lay, waiting for a boat to come and save them.

"Come Josephine…" Rose continued singing in a faint voice, but she heard muffled voices.

Rose turned her icy head to see what was going on. A boat had come back. A man was calling to see if anyone was still alive and was shining a flashlight over the dead corpes of passengers.

"Jack" Rose whispered shaking his hand she held tightly. Rose smiled and completely freed her iced hair from the door to look at Jack. Jack was lying there in the water, his chin resting on the door. He looked like he was peacefully sleeping.

"Jack, there's a boat Jack" she said, quietly, shaking his arms. He didn't answer her. "Jack" she shock a bit harder, "Jack?" Rose got frustrated. "Jack, Jack?" Rose said a bit louder, her voice cracking. Her smile slowly faded. Realization set in like a blade going through her heart. "Jack" Rose continued still shaking him. She shook him harder.

"Jack?" as a tear went down her frozen face. "Jack?" more tears going down Rose's face, her voice giving up. Both hands holding Jack's frozen hand. "There's a boat Jack" But it was too late Rose felt.

She rested her head on their hands as more tears went down her face. She was too weak and was going to die anyways. But her promise to Jack still kept in mind. Rose lifted her head to see the boat rowing away. "Come back" Roes said softly "Come Back, Come back" Rose said as loud as she could. They couldn't hear her though.

This is just hopeless, Rose thought, before remembering a man near by had a whistle he had been blowing earlier. Rose looked at Jack and back at the boat rowing away. She was not going to let him go. You jump I jump.

Rose slid off the door and plunged in the freezing water. Rose held on tight to Jack's hand as she struggled to swim, but he was bringing her down. That made Rose swim faster. She reached the man with the whistle, took it out of his mouth and blew as hard as she could. The men in the boat heard her and turned around and saw Rose blowing on to the whistle holding Jack up from drowning.

They turned the boat around and rowed as fast as they could towards them. Rose didn't stop blowing the whistle until Mr. Lightroller took it out of her mouth and they started to pull her aboard. Mr. Lightroller noticed Jack and tried to make her let go, but Rose refused to leave Jack. Mr. Lightroller nodded his head understandingly and helped Rose and Jack onto the boat. Rose was given blankets to keep warm and she took them and cuddled with Jack's body.

Rose took his hand and tried to give off some of her heat on him, hoping it wasn't to late, but she knew it in her heart. Rose fell asleep on Jack's strong chest and fell asleep into unconsciousness.

After it seemed like hour, Rose felt the sun on her face and she opened her eyes. A ship was in the distance, probably to save them. Suddenly Rose heard a voice that made her jump, but it was the nicest, calmest voice. "Rose?"...


	2. As Long As I'm With You

**Making It Count**

_** Chapter 2**_

Rose felt a cold breath on her right ear. She breathed and rubbed Jack's cold chest as she started to slip back under unconsciousness. "Rose" the voice said a bit louder and clearer. Rose felt Jack's hand tighten the grasp on hers. "Jack?" Rose asked in a whisper, rubbing her free hand on his chest. It was very cold and stiff, but Rose could tell he was still breathing. With all of her remaining strength, Rose sat up to look down upon her true love's face.

Jack's blue eyes opened and stared up at Rose. Her red hair was all matted and covered with ice. Rose's face was as white as the ice that hung in her hair and was covered with dried tears as new tears streamed down her cheeks. "Oh Jack" Rose said softly pushing a that always fell in his eye so she could clearly look into his eyes. Jack gave her a smile making more tears fall down Rose's face as she tightly wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh, I couldn't do it, I couldn't let go!" Rose sobbed. "I know you wouldn't, you kept your promise." Jack soothed, holding her closer. "I could have broken that promise by bringing you-" "Shh, I know Rose, I know. As long as I'm with you"

Rose broke away to look down at him again. It seemed Jack's body heat was slowly coming back to him. His blue eyes had taken a richer color. With every breath, he was growing stronger. Suddenly, a mischievous twinkle appeared in Rose's eyes. The smile that never left Jack's grew bigger. Rose softly stroked Jack's hair as Jack untangled a piece of ice from her hair.

When it was free, Jack pulled Rose on top of him and kissed her fiercely with all the love he could ever give her. Rose easily let Jack pull her for she was kissing harder. Jack's lips brushed down her neck as his hand searched down her dress. Rose kissed him on his forehead and rested her tired head on his strong shoulder. The horrible night of the Titanic sinking now seemed almost magical to Jack and Rose.

It proved that no force could ever come between them and they were thankful for the sad death of the Titanic. Rose pulled Jack on top of her by his suspenders as he continued to kiss her neck.

"Hey, Hey, Hey!!! Please keep it decent. There are other people on this boat and we're boarding the Carpathia shortly. Do I think you can hold off right now?!" a steward said angrily.

Jack smiled against Rose's neck and pulled away. People were being helped aboard the Carpathia and Jack and Rose were next. "Miss" Officer Lightroller said, giving her a hand to help her aboard. Two stewards tried to pull Rose up but had a bit of difficulty doing so. Rose would not leave the row boat, nor let go of Jack's hand. "Rose, you can let go. I'll go after you I promise" Jack said smiling.

Rose nodded and reached across to give Jack one last kiss. Then with the help of the stewards, Rose weakly stood up and walked forward. As Rose was pulled up onto the Carpathia, she slowly let Jack's hand go. Jack smiled up from where he rested against the side off the row boat. Rose shivered as another blanket was wrapped around her frozen body.

She struggled to stay when a steward stared to pull her back to the rest of survivors. She wanted to make sure Jack followed her. Rose knew that the water they had been in had effected them both dramatically, mainly Jack. But Jack had saved her life, in numerous ways. Now she had saved his. The least she could do was try her best to never give up hope. Rose looked back to Jack being help to his feet.

She would never let go of that promise to him, Never.

Jack felt pretty paralyzed from the icy water he had almost died in. As much as he hurt, Jack could not let Rose see how damaged he felt. Jack knew it could only be a matter of days, maybe hour before his time would be up. Jack would not scare Rose by telling her that. She had kept her promise that she would survive Titanic, but would Rose take that promise with her her whole life?

Jack did not know these answers and just belived to trust his motto that he always followed. To **Make it Count**


	3. What We Thought Was Wronge

Making It Count  
  
**Chapter 3**

Rose looked out at the rising sun on the horizon as she sipped the tea a steward had forced into her trembling hands. It was hot and warming her body. The warmer she got, the more memories of last night she remembered. Cal chasing after her and Jack with a gun he was firing madly, refusing to leave Jack, and her vow to get off the Titanic with Jack when it docked. That had been the same moment the Titanic had struck with the iceberg. Rose could almost hear the screams of the passengers as the ship sank beneath them. It had been a night they would all remember.

Stewards had been rushing around, fumbling to find ways to keep Rose warm, but Rose was still filled with shock that many still had. Rose did not want to stray to far from where survivors were still being helped onto the Carpatha. Jack was still down there in the boat. Rose had fallen asleep as soon as Jack had been brought aboard. When she awoke, she found herself on a pile of lifebelts. Jack's head rested gently on her chest. Rose stroked Jack's hair and rested her chin on his head. Jack's head shifted and was still again. Rose kissed his ear and stroked his head again. She was worried.

So there Rose now sat, lost and confused. Rose's hands could not move nor did she dare move at all, as if she could anyways. Time had passed, Rose was sure of it that it had been a long time since she had heard Jack's voice or seen him moving. Had Jack warned her that this might be the end of him? Rose could not cry she was so paralyzed.

Beside her, Jack laid still; the only movement was the slow drops of water from the melted ice that hung in his hair. He appeared to be sleeping quietly. Rose found the courage to wipe the droplets from his face. Jack yawned a little and made Rose jump. His eyes opened and Rose almost cried to see that his eyes were the true bright blue that shone with laughter.

When Jack saw her face he knew they had both feared Jack's Fate. He smiled "I guess we were both wrong" Rose simply kissed his forehead and murmured with her lips still firmly on his forehead "I trusted you that's why" Jack took her hand and tried to sit up but the blankets around him pinned him down. "Sorry" Rose said pulling away to untangle the blankets she rapped firmly around him. She picked up her tea cup from the rail and gave it to Jack. He drank it thankfully.

Rose watched him and closed her eyes, remembering what she had said to him last night. "I love you Jack" she said opening her eyes again. Jack looked back at her and whipped the tear running down her cheek. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her fiercely. Rose kissed him back. She no longer had to think about escape or being lost. Jack had found her misguided heart and set it free. Their love was so strong it could be never be broken and the death of Titanic proved it.

As Rose kissed Jack, she felt something was wrong. Jack was no longer kissing her. He was still. Rose pulled away from him so she could clearly see his face. Jack was staring at something. Rose looked behind her to see what Jack was watching.

It was a person with a black ripped jacket. No it was a tuxedo. On the third class deck? The figure looked their way. Rose looked up at him questionably but understood when she looked back. It was Cal

"Rose?" Cal said almost shocked to see her. He could barely recognize his fiancé with her matted red hair and white face. Cal could see Rose was also in shock to see him. She never responded to him just stared back with a deathly glare. After what happened between them why wouldn't she be angry Cal though smiling to himself. Cal began to run to Rose before he saw another pair of eyes glaring back at him.

No, Jack though, no way in hell am I just going to hand Rose over like some prize. The way Jack saw it, Rose was trying to escape from being ownership mere than her lifestyle. Rose had risked everything to be with Jack an lost everything. How could he throw what they had done away and walk away not showing any care.

Rose shivered and looked up to Jack for comfort. He tried to cover up his nervousness and smiled down at her. She pressed her head into Jack's strong chest and clung to him.

Jack held Rose closer and prayed for the best as Cal stopped right in front of them with a broad grin on his face.


	4. May The Best Man Win

**Making It Count**

  
**Chapter 4  
**

"Rose! Thank God I found you" Cal exclaimed wrapping his arms around Rose, completely pushing Jack's arms away. He stroked her tangled hair, still holding her with a tight grasp. Rose struggled to get away from Cal's tight arms around her but failed.

"Get the hell away from her" Jack yelled.

He pushed Cal fiercely back, and Cal was taken off guard, and Jack was very shocked.

Cal straightens up and his gaze fell upon Jack and his cold glare. Jack's eyes could been as cold as the water he almost froze in.Cal chuckled.

Did this gutter rat think that he could just take his wife that easily?

Cal walked foreword to Jack and Jack stayed as still as that ice. He had just gotten himself into a fight that he could no longer avoid, no longer hide or run

If he fought Cal, he would surely get hurt because he had almost recovered from the water. But if he backed down, he would lose Rose.

Jack stopped leaning against the lifebelt pile. He made up his mind he would continue fighting for Rose till the end. Jack exhaled and walked foreword.

Rose gulped as she saw Jack stand in front of her, protecting her, when he was the one still in need of protection. She so badly wanted to yell, "No Jack, Don't do it for me!" but Rose could not find her voice.

Cal continued to smile broadly at Jack. "I'm not going to kill you Dawson, that's not what I do. Instead, as you know, I am a businessman"

"I don't want your money or anything from you" Jack sad coolly.

"Oh good than I thank you for assisting my fiancée and will be taking her off you hands" Cal said smiling a really nasty smile still

Jack gave such a look it looked as if he would punch Cal.

"Nooo!"

Rose jumped up and wrapped her arms around Jack's arms and his waist. Jack stopped and looked down at Rose and smiled and leaned most of his body weight on Rose. She kissed his neck and pushed a hair out of his eye. Jack looked back up at Cal and stared at him with a blank face.

Cal had a look of murderous envy, but hid it pretty well, but Jack could see it.

"What makes you think you have all control? If it's the money you're God damn wrong!"

"Well I might be able to explain myself better to MY fiancée!" Cal said very loud and clearly. Jack hesitated again but then felt Rose's arms unwind from his waist. "It's ok Jack, I will be fine" she whispered and slowly walked over to Cal. Cal smiled and began to lead her away before turning back to Jack.

He walk over causally with his and in his pocket. "Oh and Dawson," He slipped $20 in Jack's pocket, "Let the best man win"

Cal smirked at Jack and walked back over to Rose. He tried to take Rose's arm but she shook him off. "Talking only" Rose said warningly in a low voice, and walked away. Cal looked back at Jack still smirking, and went to go catch up with Rose. Jack stared after them, his gaze never leaving his Rose and that bastard of a fiancée.

When they were out of sight in the crowd Jack looked up at the clear blue sky. He was the one that really loved and appreciate Rose. Who saw her as a true star and would never try to hurt her. He was the one that saved her from suicide. Ha! Why in the first place was she going to do it?

Jack looked back at the crowd and immediately saw his beautiful Rose, who looked near tears.

Jack sighed, "I really hate that guy, I really do"


End file.
